Boston judge rules driver accused of killing art collector John Axelrod is not competent for trial
Court pauses prosecution as defendant is hospitalized for treatment and periodic competency reviews
A Boston Municipal Court judge has found William R. Haney Jr., 42, mentally incompetent to stand trial in the case stemming from the death of John Axelrod, a 79-year-old Boston art collector and philanthropist, who was struck and killed on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall on Jan. 3, 2026. Axelrod’s dog, an Australian terrier named Tale, also died.
The ruling means the criminal case cannot proceed to trial at this time. Haney remains held without bail and is being kept at a state psychiatric hospital for treatment intended to restore competency, a process that can take extended periods and is subject to continued court oversight.
What the charges allege
Haney has pleaded not guilty to murder and animal cruelty charges. Prosecutors allege he drove from his home on Marlborough Street to the Back Bay on the morning of the incident, stopped a passerby to ask about a person wearing a red jacket and walking a dog, then drove onto the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and accelerated toward Axelrod and the dog.
Defense counsel has said there is no indication Haney and Axelrod knew each other, and has described a history of severe mental illness and delusional beliefs that, in the defense account, may have shaped Haney’s perception of events that morning. Prosecutors have maintained the act was deliberate and premeditated.
What “incompetent to stand trial” means in Massachusetts
A competency finding does not determine guilt or innocence. It addresses whether a defendant has the present ability to understand the nature and object of the proceedings and to consult with counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding. When a court finds a defendant incompetent, the criminal case is stayed while the defendant is hospitalized for evaluation and treatment.
Massachusetts law requires periodic review of individuals found incompetent, including a clinical opinion regarding competency. If medical leadership at the treatment facility determines a defendant is no longer incompetent, the court must be notified and is required to hold a hearing without delay on the defendant’s competency.
What happens next
Haney will remain in state custody at a psychiatric facility while receiving treatment.
The court will revisit competency through future hearings and clinical reports.
If Haney is later found competent, the stay is lifted and the case can proceed through the normal criminal process.
Competency determinations focus on a defendant’s current capacity to participate meaningfully in the legal process, not on a final judgment about criminal responsibility.
The case has drawn attention in the Back Bay because of Axelrod’s prominence in local arts circles and the unusual setting of the fatal incident on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. With the competency ruling now entered, the timeline for any trial-related proceedings will depend on future clinical assessments and court findings.